Some churches believe so much in certain things they believe quite little in others. So, they spend a great deal of time and energy on things to the expense of others. I’ve observed that areas of ministry that get neglected produce more drag on the church than those we pay attention to but still don’t do well. The reason is neglect produces worse ministry than careful incompetency.

What we do worst in ministry matters. Christian Schwarz talked about it in Natural Church Development, saying, “A church can only grow as big as its weakest quality characteristic will allow (p. 38). By “quality characteristic” Schwarz is referring to one of the big eight he mentions—not every conceivable part of church ministry. However, this truth remains: it all matters. It may not all matter the same, but it all matters. If you are a preacher, know that youth ministry really matters. If you serve in children’s ministry, understand facilities really matter.

It all matters—at least to the extent if it’s unattended to—it will create serious drag on your church’s growth and health. Ignore your teeth and you’ll have headaches. Ignore your knees and your back will begin acting up. If you’ve tried everything you can think of and the church still isn’t growing, look deeper. Look wider. Look at things you don’t care about very much personally. Often, that’s what get neglected. Then, start caring about it.

The Church is a Body. We are interconnected.

And so are our ministries, whether we realize it or not.

This week, take a long look around at other areas of ministry. Notice your interconnections. Lend a helping hand they need it. It might make the difference.

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Dr. Tim Spivey is Lead Planter of New Vintage Church in San Diego, California. He is the author of numerous articles and one book, "Jesus: The Powerful Servant." A sought after speaker for events, Tim also serves as Adjunct Professor of Religion at Pepperdine University. Tim serves as a church consultant, and his writings are featured on ChurchLeaders.com, Church Executive magazine, Faith Village, Sermon Central, and Giving Rocket.